What if
by sd2905
Summary: Just a small dribble of what would have happened if while killing Victoria, Jacob was also there. And there he realized that he had lost his war. The story is still the same, just a small change. Give it a try.


**This is the scene from the chapter 'Snap decision' and 'Mirror'. An alternative plot, but with the same ending. From a third person's point of view. **

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_Victoria is here? _Thought the red brown wolf as he heard what his wolf-brother, Seth, had just told him. He couldn't believe. He wanted to take a revenge from that red head leech for troubling Bella to her death. Making her shudder at even a small voice. He recalled every small sign of trouble he noticed whenever he said the name of Bella.

But most of all he was worried. Because he did not trust that Edward could save her, and he knew that Seth wasn't prepared to fight a strong vampire. He worried for Bella and her safety. He feared to lose her just after he had got her. He didn't want to lose her just after he realised his feeling were reciprocated.

While he fought with the half vampire army, his mind deliberated on how he could get out of this so that he can reach Bella on time.

Sam could hear all of Jacob's musings and knew that he was right in his place. He agreed that Seth was too small to fight a vampire and he too didn't trust their vampire ally on this. He felt it was their duty to protect this place. So it was no surprise for Jacob when after a short time – when Sam was sure that there was not enough enemies left to fight them – he gave him a green signal to go up and fight a more important battle.

Jacob wasted no time in running up the hill to reach Bella, his mind constantly cursing Edward for selecting such a far away place for Bella to stay. But also he was happy that he decided to stay with her. At least he had a small piece of mind until he was here himself.

He tried very hard to see what was happening both above and below with the enemies, but it was all too messed up – too many thoughts and mumblings at the same time – to get things right.

When he was up there, he could see the small, terrified, numb frame of his love standing against the cliff like a statue, her eyes trying fruitless attempts to see the blur. But Jacob could easily see through that blur. He saw how Seth was tearing every part of the lake vampire and how Edward beheaded Victoria – the revenge he wanted to take.

He knew there was nothing left for him to continue, and so was below with his other fellow wolves. So he decided to stay with Bella knowing that she needed him the most.

_I am going to change so that I can be near Bella. _He told the other wolves. _If anything happens, Seth is still here and he'll tell me. _He offered and shifted back to his human form.

In this form he sighed with a relief as he knew Bella will be terrified to see another mythological creature standing against her.

He slowly walked the path to Bella, not wanting to scare her more, and stood beside her, putting his have over her – cold for him – hand. He had expected to see a reaction – a cold glare at the least – from Edward, but that too never happened. For all he was seeing, Edward didn't even give a single care. Also he had expected that he will see a change in her posture – that she will relax under his touch, lean by his side, cry her fear off on his shoulder – but nothing that sort of ever happened. In fact her head didn't move a bit. But as a reaction she shuddered and flinched by his warm touch.

It was because Bella wanted to feel the cold touch of Edward and nothing else. She didn't feel any warn touch. Her eyes followed every step that Edward took, collecting every piece of Victoria or Riley and setting them in fire. She was trying to examine his every move, trying to locate any harm he had received. She didn't feel any pain of piercing her elbow, but she was pained because she almost saw Edward lose his life.

She had fear, yes, but for him. She didn't want to lose him. And she was also scared because Edward hasn't looked at her since the fight. She wanted Edward to look at her and assure her that he was fine, he wasn't harmed. But it never happened.

It was mainly because Edward didn't want to see the fear in her eyes which he had always imagined. He thought about the whole rock thing and a shudder ran through him. Seth saw that. Though he was a child, he was quite observatory.

_Are you fine? _He asked, to which Edward replied with a small nod. The fact that Jacob was present here did not anger him. He was exhausted to think about anything else but Bella.

Together they collected every piece of the dead vampires body and throw them in the fire. Edward couldn't help but gloat after taking revenge for Bella.

After their work was done, he bumped his hand with Seth's wolf nose. "Nice teamwork." He approved, happy that Seth was exulting over killing a vampire, chuckling as he recalled every cry Riley had cried.

_You should look after Bella. She must be horrified. _Seth added later. Edward nodded, knowing that it was inevitable now. He have to face Bella no matter what.

He took a deep breath to prepare himself for what was waiting for him as he slowly turned around.

Jacob hissed lightly, watching that even now Edward wanted to be with her, when she had kissed him willingly, a proof that she loved him. He wanted to come and stand in front of Bella to protect her but chose to stand still and see what Edward was upto. For he knew that Edward would not do anything now that Bella had told him about her feelings for him.

Still, Bella remained still like a statue, too numb to do anything.

Edward walked towards Bella, trying to cover the few yards between them in an excruciating slow pace. Jacob icily thought _Just get it over with and go away, leave us alone, _but he saw no remark from Edward, like he hadn't heard any part of it.

Which was true. Edward was too busy looking at Bella that he didn't care to notice what everyone was thinking about. He was holding his palms up, like he was surrendering, as he walked slowly to Bella.

"Bella, can you drop the rock, please?" Edward asked a still Bella as he saw that she was still holding the rock tightly in her hands, not willing to lose and throw it. "Carefully love. Don't hurt yourself." He instructed further.

Bella was confused by his words. _Why is he talking like that? What happened? _She kept wondering, but she didn't realise that she had stilled herself. She tried to understand Edward's words. Her hand twitched to look what was he taking about, her eyes still locked with Edward's, and slowly she realised that she was still holding the rock tightly in her warm, the sharp edges scratching her palm, her knuckles too stiff for any movement.

Jacob too looked at her other side to see that she was holding a small piece of rock tightly in her grasp, as a weapon. He started wondering what she was upto to hold this.

The loud thud noise of the rock falling on the ground filled the silence on the hill.

Edward hesitated a few moments, making sure Bella was safe and unharmed, standing a few feet away from Bella. Seeing that Bella was unharmed, his posture relaxed a little, but he didn't dare move.

"You don't have to afraid, Bella." Edward murmured from a few feet away. "You're safe. I won't hurt you."

Jacob scoffed lightly over his words. _He should have thought it thorough. She is terrified of him. I knew it. He is too mad at Bella now. _Jacob kept thinking, putting his hand around her waist in an act to assure her that she was fine.

Bella was too lost in Edward's eyes to notice the warm hand on her waist. For all she cared, it could be a snake and she would still not flinch. She was trying to mull over his words, trying to decipher their meaning. She was confused to say the least. She kept staring at him, and in return he looked back in her eyes with equal mystification.

"It's going to be all right, Bella. I know you're frightened now, but it's over. No one is going to hurt you. I won't touch you. I won't hurt you." He said again, trying to bring any action out of Bella.

Jacob snorted this time, rolling his eyes, thinking how ridiculous Edward sounded.

Jacob felt a small movement beside him and Edward relaxed a little as they saw Bella blinking again and again, tilting her face one side to know what was going on.

"Why do you keep saying that?" Were the first words that flew out of her mouth as she started some movements.

She, unconsciously, took a step near Edward. Jacob's hand fell from its place. Too shocked to see that Bella was still trying to go near him. _Doesn't she understands that he is not safe, too mad. _

But neither Bella nor Edward paid attention to the slight snorts of Jacob. Their eyes were just for each other, trying to understand what the other meant. Edward was confused listening Bella. _She is still in a dazed trance. _He assumed as he took a step back.

Bella flinched seeing that Edward was trying to move away from her. She couldn't see it. "What's wrong?" She wondered in a whisper. "What do you mean?" She couldn't think of anything which was wrong.

Edward got confused by her question. Shouldn't he be the one asking her, he thought, while Jacob was getting more and more befuddled by the entire scene playing in front of his eyes. He could not decipher any meaning of what Bella wanted to say. For him, she was talking incoherently, not knowing herself what she was saying.

But Bella knew what did she meant.

So it was very much more confusing for her when Edward asked in a quizzical tone, "Are you... Aren't you afraid of me?"

"Afraid of you? Why?" She wondered. She could think of no reason why she should he afraid of him. She just knew there were more than enough reasons to be afraid for him, but never of him.

"Bella?" Jacob said again, this time a little loudly to make Bella see that she was not conscious. But Bella didn't respond to him. Instead she took a few steps towards Edward, tripping over her own foot and falling down.

Before she could feel the ground hitting her, before Jacob could react and protect her from getting hurt, Edward was there beside Bella, holding her tightly to him, or rather she holding him tightly.

"Put your hands off her, Cullen." Jacob threatened, not liking that even now he wanted to be near Bella, trying ways to find out how to hold him. "I have tolerated enough of you."

But his words did no work on Bella as she had her face in Edward's chest, sobbing, her whole body shaking violently.

"Bella?" Jacob called, worried about her. He had no idea why she was getting all hysterical and wanted to console her, but for that he had to stand near Edward. And he decided to do that. He took a fee steps to get near Bella.

"Bella, love, what happen?" Edward asked, ignoring Jacob's angry words, wishing he was not here.

Bella said nothing, just shook her head minutely, still not willing to detach herself from Edward's arms. She needed his consolation now more than ever. All she wanted was Edward to hold her more tightly, not letting her go.

"Bella? Bella, I am so sorry. So sorry. I'm sorry you had to see all that. But it's over. It's over." Edward kept murmuring, much to Jacob's chagrin.

_Shut up you idiot and give her to me. _He thought angrily.

"I'm fine," Bella said through her ragged breathing and accelerated heartbeat. "I'm okay. I'm just. Freaking out. Give me. A minute."

Edward understood what she meant and held het more tightly then, leaning his head down in her brown tresses, breathing in her fragrance. "It's fine. It's fine." He kept murmuring in her hair, assuring her and himself again and again. He was gloating with relief that Victoria was finally gone.

Jacob was running out of his patience. He wanted to be the one holding Bella, assuring her that everything will be fine, breathing in her scent. _She had chosen me, you idiot. Didn't you know? Didn't you see? _He taunted while Edward and Bella still held each other.

And soon Bella was kissing Edward everywhere. His neck, his jaw, his cheek, his lips, his shirt, his skin, everything that was in reach of her, confusing Jacob more about his position in Bella's life.

"Are you Okay?" She demanded of Edward as she kissed his jaw. "Did she _– a kiss on his neck – _hurt you at all?" _A kiss on his shoulder. _

_I am also the one who fought vampires, Bella. _Jacob thought icily as he heard Edward and Bella's talks.

He was jealous to say the least, not liking at all that till now she was ignoring him, her concentration solely on Edward. He wondered what did Edward tell her that she still wants to be with Edward rather than him.

"Nope. I am absolutely fine. Not a scratch."

"Seth?"

"More than fine. Very pleased with himself, in fact."

"The others? Alice, Esme? The wolves?"

"All fine. It's over there, too. It went just as smoothly as I promised. We got the worse of it here."

"It's all over." She mumbled in a hushed tone, euphoric that her greatest fear was no more able to scare her, and again hugged Edward close, her eyes breaking into another round of tears.

"It is." Edward agreed, equally euphoric, as he held her tightly to his chest, to comfort her that everything was fine now, to comfort himself that she was safe. He smelled her hair in relief, kissed her behind her ear in joy, hugged her more tighter than he is used to celebrate the victory. When she was done with her tears, he pulled her chin up so that he could kiss her properly. She complied to his silent request with equal enthusiasm, standing on her tip-toes, as she got lost in her small world where everything was finally fine.

But everything wasn't fine with the man standing and watching the romantic exchange between those two.

Jacob felt like someone was burning him. He couldn't believe his eyes. _What has he done on her. She loves me, not you, you leech. She kissed me! Don't you get it! Take your spell back from her! _He shouted in his head, hoping the mind-reader hears it and leaves Bella alone, but deep down he knew he had lost the war, even after winning the battle.

He knew that Bella was long gone now – he could never get her back. He tried his best, but even the best wasn't enough for Bella to choose him over her vampires.

He felt hollow, dead, hopeless.

He wanted his wolf mind to overtake his to escape the heartbreak he was feeling. Heartbreak of not losing his love but also his friend.

In front of his eyes Edward and Bella talked like there was nobody else in this world.

He now knew that Bella was never going to be his.

And this final thought changed everything for him.

Till now he had a motive – to save Bella and get her love – but now that motive was moot. There was nothing left that he had to achieve as he lost everything.

He slowly took his steps back, descending back into the woods.

He could feel his whole body shaking, trying to the wolf takeover. And he gave the permission. He let the wolf takeover all his senses, letting the human Jacob bury deep inside the wold where the pain was very low.

And that was when he saw it. He saw that there was a still a vampire hiding in the bush. He saw it through Quil's eyes.

_Be ready. The battle may be over, but not the war. _Sam felt pity and sympathy for his friend, and so did the other wolves. But it was Leah who understood his feeling way better than anybody else. She didn't taunt him, didn't passed some snide comments. She let him have his space.

And that's when she too saw the only vampire left hiding in the woods.

Everybody tried to warn her, but she was determined. She wanted to show her worth in this group. So she decided to act on impulse. The rest were busy talking to the Cullens or either piling up the pieces to built a fire. She wanted to show them that she toi is capable of saving the others. And she acted.

Jacob worried about his friend, ran fast to save his one more friend – he was hopeful he will save this one. And he did reach on time, but still late. Leah had just attacked the vampire but the enemy got skills and escaped her. She tried to bit the wolf, but before she could, Jacob jumped before anyone else could and saved Leah, himself getting injured on the way.

The new-born attacked him, harmed his almost whole right side of the body and here was nothing left within him to fight as he used to do. He had lost his determination and his fighting spirit in the woods above a few minutes ago.

The other wolves were able to destroy the culprit in time, but not in time before Jacob was no more healthy. He was bleeding furiously, his whole wolf fur covered with blood, but still he didn't want to turn back in his wolf form. Because he knew that the pain along with the heartbreak will be too much to handle for his human self.

His pain, both wolf and human, too much for bear for him, overpowering his senses.

He growled loudly.

But he couldn't control his senses anymore.

He fainted in his wolf form.

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**I know it isn't that good, but it was just a thing which was running in my mind since a long time. I decided to give it a try. **

**Hope you like it. **

**~SD2905**


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